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Sewer fees don’t match usage, lawsuit contends
The matter will go before the court in September.
LIBERTY — A Liberty Township woman has filed a small claims lawsuit against Trumbull County — saying she is flushing too much money down the drain in sewer fees.
County officials, however, say the pricing is fair.
Joyce Fisher, of Secrist Lane, filed suit in Girard Municipal Court on Aug. 20 seeking $1,888 from the county. Fisher and county officials are due to appear in court Sept. 16.
Fisher, in the suit, says she lives on a lot that holds two houses — the other being occupied by her parents.
The parents’ home receives water from the city of Girard while the home occupied by Fisher uses well water.
Fisher said her parents pay a flat minimum bimonthly sewer fee of $30, but she is billed $30 every month.
“I do realize I should pay for my sewer usage but to pay twice as much for comparable usage is totally unfair, just because I have well water,” she said.
Rex Fee, director of Trumbull County Sanitary District, would not comment on the pending litigation but did say he is aware of the complaints Fisher has made to the county and various officials about her sewer bill.
According to Fee, those sewage customers using well water pay a bill determined by the average usage of everyone on the system.
“Since we don’t have a firm reading, we come up with a cost that covers the gamut,” said Fee. “These individuals have to take into account that we have no idea how much water use they have or how much is entering our system.
The rate for a well user is based on 6,000 gallons a month. A meter user uses between 5,000 and 8,500 gallons a month.”
Fee said the county hires an independent consulting firm to address the issue of well-user sewage fees whenever there is a study to determine if the county needs to raise its water rates.
The most recent rate study was conducted in September 2007, he said.
Fisher, in the suit, says she has asked to have a meter tied to her sewage line to determine how much waste water is entering the system but was denied.
jgoodwin@vindy.com